


Protector

by naasad



Series: I'll Be Good [9]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Flashpoint (DCU) - Fandom
Genre: Family, Father-Son Relationship, Feels, Gen, Ghosts, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-06-10 15:50:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15294864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naasad/pseuds/naasad
Summary: Bruce meets Batman.





	Protector

**Author's Note:**

> @Diana_Raven asked for Thomas meeting the ghosts
> 
> I'm still figuring out things about how the supernatural works in this 'verse, but I decided that ghosts can eat food and drink if it's blessed by a priest and that vengeful spirits are the only spirits not protected by holy ground (the opposite in fact).

Ever since they'd moved to the church, life had simply been getting better. Bruce and Tim stayed in Jason's rectory, still on holy ground, and Dick visited often.

In the tranquility of the churchyard, Bruce had very few 'episodes' as Jason called them.

The priest likened them to the uncontrollable fits of rage he'd have for the first year or so after his resurrection.

Bruce felt like that was too kind.

He doubted in Jason's rages, he'd sent objects and people flying across the room or filled the entire block with a creeping sense of fear. The thing he hated the most was the look on Tim's face.

Every single time he relapsed back to a vengeful spirit, he was yanked from the church back to the forest by some invisible thread and had to walk back.

This time, as he walked back, he heard cries for help.

Well, Jason was always saying he'd find a way to atone for his sins before Tim rescued him.

"Hey!" he shouted before he could lose his nerve.

Two men looked up from where they were accosting a woman. "What's this?" one of them asked. "Run along home, little boy."

Bruce took deep breaths, trying to rein in his more violent tendencies. He did not need to walk all the way across Gotham a second time tonight. "You run. Or I'll make you regret it."

The thieves laughed and one of them leveled a gun at Bruce's head. "You'll make me regret it, huh? You got five seconds. Five, four, three, two, one."

Bruce stayed stock-still, petrified with fear as a bullet came hurtling towards him once again.

But then it passed through him harmlessly.

The shooter's jaw dropped.

Bruce grinned and reached for that power in the back of his head, but before he could access it, there was the swish of a cape, the sound of bullets and punches, and then it was just him and Batman left in the alley, even the woman long gone.

Batman turned to look at Bruce, suddenly seeming sad, and growled. "Go home."

Bruce knew that voice. It was rougher now, but that was the voice that told him bed-time stories and put bandages on his knees. "Dad?" he choked out.

Thomas stumbled back a step. "You're dead!" he shouted.

Bruce shrugged. "Well, yeah."

"Why are you here?"

"Well...," Bruce wrung his hands together. "Not to say that it's your fault, but it kind of is. Where you end up is based on how people remember you. People remember you with love, you get a paradise, people remember you with revenge, you become a vengeful spirit."

"You're a vengeful spirit?" Thomas choked.

"Not anymore." Bruce waved his hands, trying to calm his father down. "It's okay, I'm not anymore. Well, I was earlier today, but Jason says I'm getting better, so I'm not as worried as I was last month."

Thomas sat on the ground and buried his head in his hands. "I don't know if I can stop."

"Please don't!" Bruce rushed over to him and grabbed his hands, tugging and swinging like he used to before his death. "I can't leave Timmy all by himself again, I can't! Nobody remembers him, not with anything, so he's my little brother now, even though I'm technically old enough to be his dad. I have another little brother, too, his name is Dick. He has a mom and dad, but he adopted Timmy, too, so we're all brothers, and Jason looks out for us. He's kind of like... half a big brother, half a weird uncle."

"Jason?" Thomas asked, looking up. "Jason who?"

"Father Todd! Come on, I'll show you!"

Bruce dragged his father to the steps of the church, through the sanctuary and the yard, and into the rectory.

Jason looked up from his cooking in shock. "Batman?"

"He's my dad!" Bruce said. "Dad, this is Jason."

Jason wiped his hand on his apron and held it out to shake.

Thomas returned it, gingerly at first, then squeezing so hard it was nearly painful. "I don't know if I can forgive you for letting my boy walk out in the dark by himself."

Jason winced. "Unfortunately, I don't have a choice, really. Every time he relapses, he's immediately expulsed from holy ground, usually back to the site of his body. There's no way for him to contact me once he's back, and if I show up before he is, it hurts him."

Thomas grunted in apology, then looked down to see Tim hiding on the other side of the kitchen door. "I recognize you."

"This is Timmy," Bruce said proudly. "He's my brother."

"Tim?" Thomas asked. "Tim Drake?"

Tim nodded.

"Huh." Thomas leaned back in his seat. "Your alternate self came to me claiming to be my grandson." He glanced at Jason. "Yours, too. And this Dick you told me about wouldn't be Dick Grayson, would it?"

"How'd you know that?" Jason asked, plating dinner. He said a quick blessing over it, then set it on the table.

Tim and Bruce immediately tucked in.

Thomas hummed thoughtfully. "In their world, Martha and I died and Bruce survived. Then he adopted the three of you."

"Hah!" Bruce crowed, nudging Tim. "I am your dad!"

Tim shuddered and shook his head adamantly.

"I'd be a good dad," Bruce said quietly. "I'd always let you eat whenever you want and you could stay up reading every night, even school nights if you wanted."

Tim gave a strained smile and patted Bruce's hand.

Jason gave Thomas a look. "Tim's biological parents locked him in a cellar and left him there when they went overseas. From what I can tell, they died of mysterious causes and were buried over there. Luckily, the bodies were cremated."

Thomas nodded and turned to the tiny boy. "They can't ever hurt you again. And Bruce won't let anyone else, will you, chum?"

Bruce shook his head. "Never."

Tim thought for a moment, then pointed at Thomas before pressing his thumb between his lifted brows.

"Me be your father?" Thomas asked.

Tim curled up defensively, already motioning apologies.

Thomas shook his head. "No, no, I can definitely do that." He glanced out the window at the moon. "I do have to go. Batman has work to do." He stood reluctantly and pressed a kiss to each of the boy's brows. "I'll be back." He turned to look at Jason. "I'll arrange to have their bodies brought to the cemetery here."

He sighed and looked back at Bruce one last time before nodding to himself and disappearing out into the night, praying it wasn't a dream.


End file.
